Surfers are not forgotten. The Mamanucas have some of Fiji’s greatest (and most challenging) surf breaks, a couple of which are world famous. Cloudbreak is home to an annual Pro Competition that attracts the best in the world. It’s a short boat ride from Tavarua Island, so too is Restaurants break while Wilkes Passage is accessible from Plantation Island.
Further north the Yasawa Islands are strung like a pearl necklace across a turquoise sea: precious gems in Fiji’s much-bejewelled crown. The 20 or so islands and islets of the Yasawas reach northward into the South Pacific Ocean. Here you’ll find plenty of ‘postcard perfect’ tropical islands requiring little more than a swimsuit and sulu (sarong) or board-shorts and floral shirt as you while away balmy frangipani-infused days.With no shortage of white sand beaches shaded by coconut palms on a backdrop of turquoise water, the Yasawas far-flung location make them all the more attractive.
Cruise operators depart for the Yasawas from Port Denarau Marina or Lautoka, the two major centres of Fiji’s cruise and boating industry. Though you could also take a seaplane to the Yasawas if boating is not your thing. A water taxi service, the Yasawa Flyer, also hops between the islands on a regular schedule, a particularly useful method of getting around if you want to bed down on a few different islands. Turtle Island (or Nanuya Levu is the islands Fijian name) is the home to a small luxury resort favoured by honeymooners and celebrities seeking tropical-infused privacy.
